One such memorable event witnessed and covered by Nishkam tv was the declaration of November 12th as “World Equality Day” by Massachusetts State House in honor of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Birth Anniversary.
On November 20th, 2019, Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s 550th birthday was celebrated at the Massachusetts State House. In order to honor and remember our founding father, Massachusetts recognized November 12th- Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birthday- as World Equality Day. This auspicious and monumental occasion entailed the reading of the bill which was “An act providing the annual observance of Sikh Holidays,” Ardas, and influential speeches by various leaders about Guru Nanak Dev ji and equality in Sikhism.
The Senate and General Assembly of New Jersey was the first one to pass this significant bill. Now, Massachusetts also passed this bill when state representative Aaron Vega read this declaration at the state house in front of members of the Sikh community from all around the U.S and Canada. The bill passed states “The governor shall annually issue a proclamation setting apart the month of April as Sikh Appreciation Month in recognition of the significant contributions Sikhs have made to the commonwealth and to the United States. And the
Governor shall designate November 12, the anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, as “World Equality Day.””
The reading of the bill proved to be a notable moment where Sikh leaders and representatives from MA, CT, NY, VA, TX, DC, OK, and Canada, all made an appearance and participated. Many leaders and representatives who interviewed with Nishkam TV spoke about the importance of believing in peace and equality and embracing our differences in order to celebrate unity. Nishkam TV interviewed esteemed individuals such as Swaranjit Singh from CN, Amarjit Singh from TV84 and member of World Sikh Parliament, state representatives Aaron Vega and Christine Barber, and Harman Kaur who is the General Secretary of the US region and the member of the World Sikh Parliament who represented the Civil and Human Rights Council.
Dr. Amarjit Singh and Harman Kaur both gave memorable speeches about Guru Nanak Dev Ji and how he spread his message of equality. Harman Kaur explained that Guru Ji “was called the blazing light because he was a social revolutionary reformer who challenged the cultural and religious norms in the 50th century in South Asia by fore fronting the importance of Woman in our society.” Both speeches emphasized how Guru Ji was ahead of his time and made important advances that are remembered by Sikhs all around the world and celebrated on the Gurpurab in November every year.
The vital contribution of Sikhs based upon the basic pillars, Naam Japna (focus of god), Kirat Karni (earn a honest living), and Vand Chakna (share with other), being recognized by the state of Massachusetts Nishkam TV is honored to have attended and captured this promising event which lived up to our mission of providing wholesome content through the Sikhi lens.
